The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the restrictions resulting from it, have greatly impacted much of Indonesian society, including daily workers and frontliners who have been fulfilling the daily needs of households well before and during the pandemic.
In a time filled with adversities, Gojek continuously stands with its driver-partners, aiming to ease their daily struggles with the Gojek’s Driver Partner Welfare Program, which has been running since the start of the pandemic.
To help them get by, Gojek is disbursing a total of Rp 25 billion (US$1.74 million) to all of its driver-partners across the country who have been active in the last month. During the multitiered public activity restrictions (PPKM), each driver-partner will receive Rp 50,000 in their in-app wallet.
Gojek CEO and cofounder Kevin Aluwi said the impact from the recent rise of positive daily cases had been felt by Gojek driver partners, and the initiative stemmed from the solidarity and desire to support them during the pandemic.
“Gojek wishes to continually embody the national spirit of gotong royong [mutual cooperation]. As one big family, this spirit is what we maintain with our driver-partners, especially during these challenging times. With that in mind, we hope that the Gojek ecosystem will survive the pandemic,” Kevin said.
Meanwhile, the Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi expressed his appreciation for Gojek’s initiative, noting that the spirit of gotong royong was sorely needed in times like these.
“It is hoped that this initiative can inspire other industry players, as well as the wider community, to support as many people as possible. The aid for purchasing groceries will not only support the driver-partners, as transactions and economic activities will also support others,” he said.
Throughout the pandemic, Gojek along with its ecosystem has provided support for its driver partners, focusing on three basic necessities: healthcare services and equipment, waiver of fees and additional income. These three focus initiatives was implemented through the existence of a Partner Assistance Fund worth Rp 100 billion in 2020, which includes donations from Gojek senior management and all employees.
Gojek's efforts are in line with the #BangkitBersama (#RiseTogether) movement initiated by GoTo, the largest Indonesian tech group. Through this movement, services in the GoTo ecosystem — Gojek, Tokopedia and GoTo Financial — are committed to helping the community, including micro, small and medium enterprises and informal sector workers, bounce back after the COVID-19 pandemic while helping accelerate local economic growth.
